COUNCILLORS in Woking have voted to reintroduce refreshments before council meetings on a trial basis.

At the first full council meeting of the year, members debated about whether they wanted to see food before meetings brought back.

Previously outlawed by former deputy leader Anne Murray, it will now be trialled again ahead of the next suitable full council meeting.

Members argued that coming straight from work meant they often returned home at around 11pm having not eaten and that the reintroduction of food beforehand would allow them to have some dinner.

But others questioned the potential expense to taxpayers, especially in the difficult current climate, alongside their already "generous" expenses allowance.

The trial was agreed on a tight 13 to 12 vote but some councillors who voted against it have already asked not to be catered for.

Cllr Simon Bellord said: “When Cllr Murray was leader of Woking Borough Council and made a number of bold decisions to run a more cost conscientious council, one thing that was stopped were the expansive and often lavish refreshments that councillors were treated to on a weekly basis.

"I remember as a new councillor how surprised I was to see it and how sad I was to see so much of it wasted anyway, although I later heard that the night staff would help with the ‘recycling’ of it.

“I do however want the public to know that myself and 11 other councillors voted against this ‘trial’ and some of us have asked not to be catered for.”

Leader of the council, Cllr John Kingsbury, said having an opportunity to share a sandwich or two ahead of a meeting would improve relationships and that he had already told the chief executive he would personally foot the bill.

He explained: “For some time I have thought it would be useful if before council meetings light refreshments could be provided to councillors, particularly those coming straight from work, but also to enable councillors from both parties to meet informally which doesn’t happen any more since the council closed its catering facilities some years ago.

“It had been my intention to trial this arrangement before the meeting on July 12 and I had already suggested to the chief executive that I would consider meeting the cost myself.

“However, in view of the mixed reaction this proposal has received and the fact that July 12 is not a convenient date as the chief constable is due to address members before the formal meeting, I will defer the proposal to another date subject to the majority of councillors supporting the idea.”